Command Post

Command Post

Command Post Duty was not as exciting as being on a Combat Crew, but it certainly was demanding and stressful. It also had the disadvantage of being a "shift work" job. The mid-night shift was always the worst. Even though I was now off a combat crew, I still had to fly to keep current. One of the primary duties of a Unit Command Post was to monitor all flying mission aircraft. In bomber units the controllers were bomber pilots. The 461st Bomb Wing was a bomber unit, and I was a tanker pilot. However, because I was an instrument instructor pilot they made an exception and allowed me to be assigned as a controller. It also helped that I had been spending many hours in the Command Post and was basically already trained for the job.